In an interview with The New York Times on Thursday, evangelical Christian Pat Robertson said, "I really believe we should treat marijuana the way we treat beverage alcohol. I’ve never used marijuana and I don’t intend to, but it’s just one of those things that I think: this war on drugs just hasn’t succeeded.”
Advocates for legalizing pot are seizing upon the remarks, particularly in two Western states: Colorado and Washington state, where there are measures on the ballot this fall that would legalize the possession of weed up to an ounce, paving the way for regulated sales similar to alcohol.
In a statement released today, Ethan Nadelmann, executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance, said Robertson's "clearly stated and well-reasoned comments throw a curve ball into the growing debate over legalizing marijuana."
"Defenders of marijuana prohibition … must be wondering if it's only a matter of time before theirs proves to be a lost cause," Nadelmann told the Associated Press.
This article appears in Mar 8-14, 2012.